■ MEDIA
Chinese journalists approved
Taiwan opened its doors to regional media outlets in China on Thursday, granting approval to a television station and a newspaper group from China’s Fujian Province to post journalists in Taiwan. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) gave a green light to the applications filed by DongNan TV and the Fujian Daily Group, allowing journalists from the TV station and from three affiliated newspapers of the Fujian Daily Group to cover news in Taiwan for up to three months per visit.
■ POLITICS
Lai visits protester
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) and legislators Twu Shiing-jer (??, Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) and Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) visited 80-year-old Liu Po-yan (劉柏煙) at National Taiwan University Hospital yesterday. Liu, who suffered second and third degree burns on 80 percent of his body on Tuesday after setting himself on fire in a protest at Liberty Square, was still in critical condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit yesterday, hospital officials said. DPP legislators donated cash to Liu’s family and told them that if they couldn’t afford the treatment costs, DPP members would help raise money. “At first, we were afraid [Liu’s family] would be offended by our visit, because we are DPP and Liu is not … But we felt we needed to [visit], especially since no one from the KMT went [to see him],” Tien said.
■ POLITICS
DPP official detained
Former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Lin Wen-lang (林文郎) was detained by Taichung prosecutors yesterday on suspicion of manipulating stock prices. Prosecutors were investigating another case of alleged stock manipulation concerning investor Chang Shih-chieh (張世傑) when they discovered Lin’s alleged crime. Prosecutors said evidence suggested Lin worked with Chang to manipulate the stock price of Ching Me Ke Long Chemical Co (金美克能化工公司), a cosmetics manufacturer. Prosecutors said Lin had given evidence on part of the case and they were trying to locate other potential witnesses and defendants.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday said that private-sector refiners are willing to stop buying Russian naphtha should the EU ask them to, after a group of non-governmental organizations, including the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), criticized the nation’s continued business with the country. While Taiwan joined the US and its Western allies in putting broad sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, it did not explicitly ban imports of naphtha, a major hard-currency earner for Russia. While state-owned firms stopped importing Russian oil in 2023, there is no restriction on private companies to
President William Lai (賴清德) is expected to announce a new advanced “all-domain” air defense system to better defend against China when he gives his keynote national day speech today, four sources familiar with the matter said. Taiwan is ramping up defense spending and modernizing its armed forces, but faces a China that has a far larger military and is adding its own advanced new weapons such as stealth fighter jets, aircraft carriers and a huge array of missiles. Lai is expected to announce the air defense system dubbed “Taiwan Dome” in his speech this morning, one of the sources said. The system
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